James Elliott went one shot better than tournament favourite Bart Carroll last Saturday, when he opened with a three-under par 69 at the Wagga Country Club championships.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But the overnight leader, the only player to beat Carroll in either of the first two rounds, knows the chasing pack has its work cut out when the tournament resumes, and concludes, this weekend.
Elliott followed his 69 with a 75 and is outright second on even-par at the tournament's halfway mark, six shots behind Carroll (70, 68), who is in the box seat for a fourth straight title.
Luke Chisholm (two-over) and Michael Castle (three-over) are the only other players within 10 shots of the leader.
With two rounds to play, it will take a minor miracle to run down Carroll who is setting an outstanding benchmark at the club and whose game just has to be admired.
"Oh definitely, it's good," Elliott said.
"He's a good young kid, a good talent. He's definitely the man to beat and it's going to be extremely tough for anyone to chase him down, to be honest."
Carroll, with his four-under 68, was the only player to break par on Sunday. Luke Chisholm and Kyle Tuckett (with rounds of 74) were the only players within six shots of his second round.
"His ability, he's a class above. He's just the complete golfer out there, basically. He doesn't have many deficiencies with his game. Looking at the overall scores, I think he's made four bogeys over the two rounds," Elliott pointed out.
While Carroll, 17, is a golfer hoping to go places in the next couple of years, Elliott is one of many just happy to fit in two rounds of golf on a weekend.
To play well was a bonus.
"It was pleasing, bloody oath, to get off to a good start," Elliott said of his consistent opening round.
"I probably drove the ball reasonably well and putted okay. I definitely found it a little bit tougher on the Sunday."
Elliott, who plays off +1, said there'll be no change to his approach this weekend
"Pretty much the same way as I started it, poke along, play my own game and see how it pans out," he said.
"I haven't played in a lot of them (club championships), just with work and things.
"It was good. The course is in fantastic condition. It's looking really good out there and it was good fun to string two games of golf together, to be honest.
"With a young family and a business, it's hard to get out there a bit."
